Savage Neighbors Part 4

Then the mob returns. The mob returns to burn books. The mob returns to start to throw stones. The mob returns to lynch someone or a group of someones. The mob returns to build a wall.

If the notion of belonging to a group, a religious organization or a political party is not a frighten thought, then the prospect of being in a mob has got to be. The slow moving, nearly glacier like activity of a church does not illicit the immediate danger that the wildfire mob invokes. The mob comes, like army ants and destroys everything in its path.

The mob riots. It's the collective passion boiled up to unreal, unseen emotions. Then boom. It seems reasonable to demonize one book over another, or all books written by a certain person or group of persons. Fire can disposes of books instantly, what about governmental or cultural censorship? There is no real difference between the burning of a book and condemning it.

Mobs are notorious for the violence but they are generally localized and short lived. The systematic banning of books and ideas is far worse. This sort of thing is more permanent and less noticeable.

I felt like it was something that was nearly unseen after the turn of the century and before 9/11. It was this attitude of I'm ignorant and damn proud of it I thought I kept seeing. Then after 9/11 it was like no one wanted to travel anymore, not inside or outside of our borders. Then it seemed like all the shopkeepers in my neighbor who I knew were from other countries started to go out of business. Then it seemed like the late night coffeehouses and the activities in such places started to end earlier and earlier and earlier. Then it seemed like it was over, all of it was over.

It seemed like there was this undercurrent of fear that I was not privy to. Then it seemed like the topics of conversation all included words like stress and anxiety and depression. Then the entire place seemed to empty out. The entire country seemed to empty out. And empty further a few years later. And now, well, now, I don't know where everyone got off to. I could be way off. But I no longer recognize most of my neighbors. Many of the neighbors I do recognize, I don't understand.